The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1887-09-09

ne n0rt1on. The ttGdto on Fort Sumter
and Sulllvan's Island began TO twinkle
their welcome home,s and Ne knew
that the men ct tie guns aroused by
the cannonade, were waiting to rendei
as all the assistance In their power.
Ten minutes more and our doubts wert
dissolved. Darkness, that best friend
OF the blockade runner, had wrapped
rs safely in its mantle. and the Mar.
garet and Jessie, shooting swiftly By
her pursuers, 10 near in fact that NC
could have thrown . biscuit on board,
dared into tha channel and once more
escaped.
"Reaching our dock we next morn.
ing received tho congratulations Of hun
drcds who. attracted by tho firing the
night before, had congregated on the
wharves to learn the result. Tho DIES.
perate nature Of our Undertaking may
be inferred from tho fact that ours was
the only vessel that had entered the
port for a number of days, aad not one
OF the captains of dozen steamers then
in Charleston had deemed it prudent to
attempt a run to Nassau while the
blockade was so rigidly maintained.
after discharging cargo, VIC were
seized by tho confederate authorities
and held subject to the condition that
thenceforth We should carry one-third
OF our cargo on government account.
The Margaret and Jessie was the first
steamer brought under this regulation.
eve took in u usual load of cot
ton, dropped down the harbor, and
after u careful outlook IN which VIC To-
Gated, as nearly as possible, tho posi-
ton of every federal cruiser, we one
night quietly slipped through the fleet
and the next morning were far at sea.
Oar subsequent voyages were made to
Wilmington, aud it is IN connection with
tho last of these that / mention an in
cident which aptly illustrates the pcrils
and the fate of those who tempted the
fortunes of blockade running at that
time.
cit occurred about the 10th or 10Th
of November. 1868. We had been
chased since 10 o'clock in the morning
by the Keystone State, but had no diff.
ticulty in keeping q respectable dis
tance between the two ships. Captain
Lockwood heading the Margaret and
Jessie as much toward Wilmington as
possible in order to cross the bar that
night. Shortly after dark we made IL
steamer to the northward. 1t was not
until nearly abreast of her, however,
that she gave us q token of recognition
in the shape of a she'll that exploded
just over the dock. Keeping OH our
course, We discovered in u few minutes
to u CONSERVATION, another steamer.
the Nippon. right ahead and in full
chase. 1t was the work Of a moment
for our little vesselto turn stern to, but
in doing SO We received m ugly wound
through both paddle boxes, making
damage just serious enough to cncour-
age tho Nippon to show a wrathful
series of attentions from her bow CUR,
which she did until We were out of
range and sight.
"Undismayed by these accidents of
war, Capt. Bob determined tn try
the bar once more. We accordingly
turned our bow to port and were max
ing fine Roadway again, with every
prospect of success, when behold, nm
other cruiser doomed up through the
dark not moro than 800 yards distant.
AS if to increase our dilemma, the
moon was now rising, and it would
have been madness to have continued
our attempt. Orders were accordingly
given TO .'bout ship and we once more
PIT to sea
ssNevcr did Dame Fortune seem more
chary of her favors to tho Margaret
and Jessie than she did on this occa-
sion. Daybreak brought with 1T sa
wet sheet and q flowing sea-" and what
was worse, discovered us TO two United
States cruisers within a mile on either
side. They were ocean boats and built
for rough weather. We, on tho con-
trary, were small and better calculated
for speed in smooth water, but by bear
ing to the southwark we still held oxr
own, and in all probability would have
given both vessels the slip in the course
Of the day.
s.Tke race continued until 8 O'Clock
in tho morning, when for the first time,
I saw n shadow on the captains face
and q look that told of other trouble
yet in store.
"ayhat do YOU think of thatp' he
inquired. handing me his glass and
pointing dead ahead.
"sWcll Captain Bob, I answered
after Il moments scrutiny, that's
other Yankee blockadcr, or In
Dntchman.'
eyes, he replied, and VIII.
worse, it looks very much like L
Lafayette in full chase
$50 it turned out; bat l won't
tic,pate. We were now in the trian
of three pursuing ships, and the O
chance Of escape was to Dear down
the eastward and give the MargaA
and Jessie all tho steam she could
carry. The Fulton Chat was thename
of the vessel last discoversd), was on
her way from Beaufort, South Caro-
lima, and being a larger ship than our
own. gained on us rapidly the moro
the weather roughened. By2 O'Clock
she was within range and opened fire,
lUa6h~ %as steadily maintained
during the chase. To mako mat
tcrs worse, our old enemy of the day
before. the Keystone State, again APP
pearcd upon the scene, and in an hour
more, the Nansemond made the fifth
IN the fleet of cruisers sweeping down
upon us.
"Wc wero about sixty miles at sen
and laboring heavily. No damage had
been doHe us of any consequence, but
wehad been chased $50 long that our